


better together

by nervousbakedown



Category: Crooked Media RPF
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Engagement, M/M, Marriage Proposal, POV Alternating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-20
Updated: 2019-04-20
Packaged: 2020-01-11 23:23:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18434258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nervousbakedown/pseuds/nervousbakedown
Summary: Tommy took in a shaky breath. He brought his hands together and felt his heart start to thud. Finally, like the flip of a switch, the words tumbled out of him.“I’m gonna ask Jon to marry me.”





	better together

**Author's Note:**

  * For [justlikesomuch](https://archiveofourown.org/users/justlikesomuch/gifts).



> you know the rules: keep it secret, keep it safe, this is a total work of fiction. thanks to shell for being my sounding board on this one. title from the song by jack johnson. 
> 
> hope you enjoy this, jess!<3

**2017**

 

Jon held the small gray box in his hand and studied the silver-gold band inside. It wasn’t anything fancy, but he knew it didn’t need to be, knew Tommy wouldn’t want an extravagant piece of jewelry.

The jeweler waited a few moments as Jon looked it over before asking, “So, what do you think?”

“I think it’s perfect,” Jon said. He smiled to himself upon noticing a small, barely there infinity sign engraved on the inside of the band. “Yeah, he’ll like it.”

The jeweler went to take the box back and ushered Jon over to the register. “I think he will, too.”

~

The glowing morning sun felt great on Tommy’s skin as he drove to the office, humming along to the Jack Johnson tune playing in the car. He couldn’t stop smiling because of the revelation he’d had last night. He couldn’t wait to tell Lovett about it.

Tommy pulled into their office park in his usual spot. As he walked up to the office, he sent Lovett a text: _Need to tell you something privately when you get in today._

Tommy walked through the office door, immediately met with the sound of Leo’s nails on the hardwood floor. He knelt down and pet him with his left hand. In his right hand, he held his phone and read Lovett’s response: 

_Oh no I’m worried what did I do._

Rolling his eyes, Tommy typed back, _nothing, weirdo._

_Good._

Tommy shoved his phone in his pocket and went over to their desks. Jon was already there; he had a doctor’s appointment early in the morning and came in right after. Tommy stepped in close behind Jon and watched him type into the shared pod outline document. Jon messed up his typing as soon as Tommy looped his arms around his shoulders and nuzzled the side of his face, feeling his freshly-shaven cheek against his.

“Hey,” Tommy said. He kissed Jon on the cheek. “How was the doctor?”

“Fine,” Jon smiled at Tommy and then looked back to his screen. He backspaced his error and kept typing. “No news is good news.”

“Good,” Tommy patted Jon’s shoulder before sitting down at his own desk less than two feet away. He unpacked his messenger bag, still trying not to smile to himself. He was a mix of all the emotions — happiness, anxiety, excitement, more anxiety. God, he needed to tell someone. Where the fuck was Lovett?

Somehow, Tommy managed to channel his NSC-trained poker face for the next hour before Lovett finally arrived. Tommy maintained his cool while Lovett unpacked his stuff for the day and got settled in. When the time was right, he texted Lovett again, feeling like he was indeed on a covert mission: _I’m going to that closet down the hall. In five minutes, you follow me there._

Lovett grinned down at his phone. _Ooh the closet? Would Jon approve of this?_

 _[eyeroll emoji] Just do it_ , Tommy replied and got up. He made his way past the kitchen in their small office, down the hall to the meager supply closet. He turned the light on and gently closed the door. He waited. 

It was about ten minutes before Lovett got there.

“Sorry,” Lovett closed the door in a huff and leaned against it. “Your boyfriend wouldn’t shut up about some hack in his Twitter mentions.”

“Shh!” Tommy put his finger to his mouth. “Whisper.”

“Okay, you’re freaking me out, Tommy. What is happening?”

Tommy laughed, albeit a little nervously. “It’s nothing bad I promise. Well, I don’t know. But you can’t tell anyone.”

Lovett rolled his eyes, exasperated. He looked at the ceiling and back to Tommy. “Okay, what?”

Tommy took in a shaky breath. He brought his hands together and felt his heart start to thud. Finally, like the flip of a switch, the words tumbled out of him. 

“I’m gonna ask Jon to marry me.”

Lovett’s jaw dropped. He started to smile, and playfully shoved Tommy in the chest. “Get out.”

“Yeah, I’m gonna do it.”

“Oh my god. Oh my god!” Lovett covered his mouth. “This is so exciting. He’s gonna freak.”

“So you think he’ll say yes?”

“Are you a moron?” Lovett whisper-yelled. “Of course he’s gonna say yes. He’s gonna start bawling as soon as you get down on one knee.”

“Okay, okay,” Tommy replied. He crossed one arm over his chest, brought his left hand up to chew on his thumbnail, lost in thought. 

“What is it?” Lovett asked.

“I’m thinking about when to ask him,” Tommy whispered. 

“Just do it the old fashioned way. Go on a date and just do it.”

“What are you, a spokesman for Nike?” Tommy quipped. He found himself nodding, knowing Lovett was right. “Yeah, that’s the way to go. Normal date. We’ve never been showy. He likes small gestures.”

Lovett moved his hand to the closet door knob. “Exactly. Okay, can we talk about this later, ‘cause I’m starting to get claustrophobic in here.”

“Yeah,” Tommy agreed. He took in and slowly exhaled another deep breath. “I feel better getting that off my chest. Thanks, Lovett.”

“You know I love a good scheme,” Lovett said before turning the doorknob and exiting the closet. 

Tommy took a few moments to compose himself. He smiled, thinking about the ring in the pocket of his messenger bag. Thinking of the perfect date for Jon.

~

“Dude, what are you doing up there?”

“I’m coming, jeez!” Jon yelled back at Tommy from their bedroom. He stood there, frantically looking for a safe-keeping place for his ring. Well, Tommy’s ring. The ring that he was planning to put on Tommy’s finger. The ring that would accompany the words, _Will you marry me?_ because Jon was going to say those words to Tommy sometime soon. 

Holy shit. 

Jon went over to the walk-in closet on his side of the room. He looked for something, anything to hide the ring in, and the boxes on the top shelves stood out. He had a few boxes that held mementos he wanted to keep, mostly photographs that he’d taken with him place to place. He could hide the ring in there. Jon reached up and set it inside, pushed the box back against the wall. He took a moment to compose himself before going downstairs.

Tommy and Leo were waiting by the door. Tommy was in a thin t-shirt and gym shorts, running shoes. Leo dutifully sat beside him. 

“Re-gelling your hair again?” Tommy teased, talking out of the side of his mouth.

“Shut up,” Jon grabbed his keys off the table on his way to the door. 

Tommy grinned at Jon before leading them out the door, out to the car. Leo crawled into the back while Jon and Tommy put their sunglasses on and Jon started the engine.

They were on their way to the park — a decompression activity they’d taken to after particularly rough news days. It was a beautiful evening for it. Jon had to take considerable effort not to stare at Tommy, to keep his eyes on the road. The way the Southern California sunlight made Tommy’s hair a real, true blond was one of Jon’s favorite things. Tommy plugged in his phone and soon an upbeat acoustic song Jon didn’t recognize was playing through the stereo, Tommy just barely humming along.

Once they arrived at the park and got on the walking trail lined with leafy green trees, Jon reached for Tommy’s hand and threaded their fingers together. The sun set as they walked at a leisurely pace maintained by Leo, who trotted around and stopped to explore the various smells of tree stumps, flowers, and other dogs. They talked about the day and how well they thought the podcast they recorded earlier went.

At the same time, in the back of his mind, Jon thought about the best way to propose to Tommy.

~

Tommy remembered thinking about it four years ago. Sat across from Jon at their favorite restaurant in DC, it was a fleeting thought, small because his subconscious was trying to protect him. There was a lot up in the air at that point – they just quit their jobs, they just decided to start their own company, neither of them were technically ready. But Tommy wondered, for a moment, what it would be like if Jon were his husband.

Now, things were different. They owned a house together. They ran another new company together. They recorded podcasts together; they toured the country together. They took care of a dog together. Why not seal the deal?

This realization came last Sunday, when he and Jon were entertaining friends at their house. Tommy had stepped out onto the patio and saw Jon standing there, talking to their friends, wearing a worn t-shirt and beachy khaki pants rolled up to his calves because he’d dipped his feet in the pool. He was laughing and smiling, his head thrown back. He was beautiful. Right there in front of Tommy stood the center of his universe. 

Tommy noticed Jon’s fingers, always so delicate, as he held a wine tumbler in his hand. And that’s when Tommy thought to himself, with finality, _I’m going to put a ring on it._

The next day, on his lunch break, he went to the jewelry store fifteen minutes from their office.

~

As soon as Tommy went into the studio to record this week’s Pod Save the World, Jon ushered Lovett into the office kitchen. No one else was in there at the moment, so Jon decided not to waste any time and cut right to the chase.

“Lovett, guess what?” 

“Am I supposed to say ‘what’ or do you actually want me to guess?”

Jon pondered it for a second. “You know, I don’t actually care.” He shook that thought out of his head. He shifted nervously, wringing his hands together, then lowered his voice to a whisper. “I’m going to ask Tommy to marry me.”

Lovett’s eyes went wide and his mouth flew open. He didn’t say anything for a few long moments, long enough that Jon snapped his fingers in front of his face. “Earth to Lovett, hello?”

“Sorry, sorry, I’m just —“ Lovett took a breath. “Processing that. Holy shit, yeah?”

“Yeah!” Jon couldn’t help but grin. “I literally bought a ring on Monday. It’s just time, you know? God, I’m so nervous, though. Like, what if he says no? What if he doesn’t say anything?”

Lovett shook his head and put his hands on Jon’s shoulders. “Okay, stop right there. Tommy is one of those dudes who’s wanted to be married since he was like, twelve. And he loves you for some reason, so–“

“Okay. I still don’t know when I’m gonna ask. I gotta think of something.”

Lovett dropped his hands from Jon’s shoulders and crossed them over his chest, his thinking face on. He pursed his lips and shrugged after a moment, as though he’d figured it out. As though it was obvious. “Just do it. Just do it on a normal date.”

Jon gasped, brought his pointer finger to his temple. “That way he won’t suspect anything. Genius!”

“What can I say, I should be a spokesman for Nike.”

That joke took a moment for Jon to understand, but when he did he laughed under his breath. He thanked Lovett for indulging him in this conversation and then ended it, not wanting to talk about his plan in public just in case someone was listening. It wouldn’t take long for gossip to spread in such a small office.

Back at his desk, Jon stared at the TV playing CNN on mute on the wall. He wasn’t actually watching it. Instead, he pondered which hyphenation of his and Tommy’s last names sounded better.

~

Part of Tommy felt silly, bringing the ring to and from work every day, stowed in his messenger bag, but he knew it was a safe place to keep it. Jon would never look there — he’s not one to use Tommy’s laptop, and he’s certainly not one to read Tommy’s latest international relations book for PSTW. Plus, maybe Tommy would just pop the question randomly and he’d need it. He still didn’t know yet.

Determining when exactly he was going to propose turned out to be the hardest part. Tommy mulled over all the possibilities: Randomly in the office. On a date at their favorite restaurant. Tying the ring to Leo and seeing if Jon would catch on. Everything seemed cliche, made him kinda nervous. Nothing seemed quite _them._

Tommy thought about things that weren’t cliche, that maybe wouldn’t be so nerve-wracking in expectation. Now that it was May, it was warm enough to lay out at the beach again. Tommy thought about how relaxing and low-key his beach dates with Jon always were. Ever since they moved to Southern California, Tommy thought that Jon was born for the beach vibes. Surely, on a normal Saturday beach date, Jon wouldn’t suspect a thing.

Tommy brought it up after dinner that night when they were cuddling on the couch.

“So, I’ve been thinkin’,” Tommy circled his fingertips on Jon’s shoulder. “You wanna go to the beach this weekend?”

“Sure,” Jon lifted his head from Tommy’s chest. “Malibu?”

“Sure,” Tommy kissed the top of his head, his lips brushing his dark hair. He was glad when Jon nestled back into his chest so he wouldn’t see the outrageous blush growing on his cheeks or the unstoppable smile on his face.

~

Jon had the epiphany two days before buying the ring. On Saturday, he woke up on his side of the bed, stretched his arms and legs out like a cat, and turned over to see Tommy – Tommy sat up against the headboard, shirtless, reading a book with blue and orange post it notes dispersed among the pages. Jon’s eyes traced down Tommy’s bare chest, the light hair at his stomach, the cut of his hips and the way the white sheets clung around his waist. Jon studied the bite mark he left on Tommy’s hip a few nights ago, unmistakable but now fading.

Tommy must’ve noticed Jon’s staring. He looked away from his book and grinned at Jon, his blue eyes stark and his hair all messed up but so, so perfect. “Good morning.”

It took everything Jon had not to ask him to marry him right then and there.

~

The ring box moved from Tommy’s blue messenger bag to his white and gray striped beach bag. Tommy packed it carefully in the bottom corner and put two towels, a change of clothes, and some toys of Leo’s on top. He kept it on the floor against the wall on his side of the bed, ready to go a whole day in advance. Tommy looked at it every time he walked past. Nervous and excited. Excited and nervous.

~

Recording ads for PSTW was always fun for Jon because Tommy took the lead, and Jon got the chance to sit back and chime in only when prompted. He watched Tommy across the table with his chin in his hand and giggled when Tommy pronounced words wrong for humorous effect.

Usually, Jon could manage to keep himself together, to not do the obvious, flirty, _I’m so into you_ laugh when they were technically working, but it was really hard at the moment. Jon couldn’t wait for their weekend beach date all of a sudden, couldn’t wait to lay on a towel with his head propped up while Tommy sat cross-legged, with good posture as usual, talking about some article he just read on Lawfare.

Jon thought about the beach and Tommy, Tommy on the beach, until it became more of a daydream. And then, suddenly, it hit him. He gasped into the microphone. 

_I should propose to Tommy at the beach!_

Jon was knocked back into the present moment when Tommy stopped reading the ad copy and asked, “What is it?”

Performatively shrugging it off, Jon smiled. “Oh, nothing.”

~

“...it’s a cool idea, but it’s going to be really hard, and I’m also worried about making time for it.”

Tommy sat on the bathroom counter, listening to Jon think aloud in the shower. He was talking about this idea he had for a new podcast about the Democratic party, but had a lot of apprehensions about. It reminded Tommy of their White House days, when Jon would use Tommy as a sounding board late at night when he hit a wall with a speech draft. 

Jon turned off the water, which meant Tommy didn’t have to talk as loud anymore. “Well, good thing we have a development staff now that can help you with these questions.”

Jon stepped out of the shower, tan skin shimmering with water. He grabbed a towel off the rack and patted his face and chest dry before wrapping it around his waist. Tommy pursed his lips. He’d never get over how sexy Jon was.

Jon crossed the distance over to the counter, stepped in-between Tommy’s legs. 

“What, you’re not gonna help me?” Jon asked, looking up at Tommy with those puppy eyes.

Tommy reached out and pushed Jon’s hair back, let his hand linger at the back of his neck. Jon tilted his head back and Tommy thought about how they definitely were going to be late to work.

He also thought that, of course he’ll help Jon with this project, like he’d always helped him. They were a team. They’d always be a team.

And _that thought_ reminded Tommy of his proposal plans. He got a shock of the giddy nervousness once again.

Jon put his damp hands on Tommy’s thighs and got closer.

“Maybe,” Tommy teased, then leaned down and kissed him.

~

Jon quickly reached up into the shoebox in the closet to retrieve the ring. He didn’t want Tommy to yell at him for taking forever upstairs again while he and Leo were ready and waiting to go. Once was fine, but twice he might get suspicious. Jon slipped the ring into his tote bag, shoved it down towards the bottom under his hoodie and their beach blanket, and skipped downstairs.

Another drive, another one of Tommy’s summer-y acoustic songs playing in the car. Tommy was driving this time, which Jon was glad for. He didn’t know how well he’d do driving when all he could think about was proposing to Tommy. Jon held Leo in his lap and looked at the tote bag on the car floor in-between his feet. He smiled listening to Tommy sing under his breath. 

After they arrived at their usual beach in Malibu, they staked out a good spot to claim. Jon followed Tommy, with Leo being the precipitating factor pulling him ahead. Jon’s legs already felt like jello. He was glad he had Leo there. His therapy dog, as Tommy called him.

Tommy stopped a few yards away from a lifeguard stand and asked if it was a good place. Jon agreed, and proceeded to take out their blanket from his bag with surgical precision, not wanting the ring box to come out with it. Jon made sure the bag was closed before shaking out the big yellow-orange blanket. Tommy grabbed the other end and helped him, squinting. For some reason, he wasn’t wearing his sunglasses.

~

Tommy had a book open but kept reading the same paragraph over and over. He kept thinking about _when_. He sat with his legs crossed, leaning over to block the sun. In his haste – or, rather, his sole attention on making sure he had the ring – he forgot his sunglasses.

So when Jon asked, “You wanna go down to the water?” Tommy felt his heart thud in his chest, butterflies materialize in the pit of his stomach. He managed to reply, “Sure thing.” He watched Jon stand up and knew this was it.

Tommy pretended to be nonchalant as he rooted through his bag. Jon stood facing the water, not looking at Tommy, watching Leo dig in the sand as he held his leash. 

Tommy took out the ring box, carefully opened it, and shifted from sitting to kneeling on one knee. 

“Jon.”

Jon turned when he heard his name. His jaw dropped and his hand immediately flew up to cover his mouth. A moment later he lifted his sunglasses up onto his head. “Tommy?”

“Jon, I love you more than anything in the world. I’ve loved you since our first day of work in that cubicle in ‘05. Somehow, I always knew it’d be you. And I want it to be you forever. Will you marry me?”

Jon made a sound that kind of sounded like a sob. He started nodding his head before breathlessly saying, “Yes, yes, Tommy. Yes.”

Tommy felt tears forming in his eyes as Jon knelt in front of him, level with him. Tommy plucked the gold ring out of the box and got his own shaky hand to cooperate as he slid it onto Jon’s left ring finger. Jon then reached out for Tommy, and Tommy wrapped his arms around him, kissed him briefly on the lips before pulling him into a bone crushing hug.

“Tommy, I - “ Jon said when he pulled away. He laughed under his breath. “This is – ”

Tommy watched Jon root through his beach bag. He pulled out a tiny gray box and avoided Tommy’s eyes as he got on one knee in front of him and opened the box. 

Once Tommy realized what was happening — what had happened — his own jaw dropped, and he couldn’t help but stand up in surprise and shock. Jon was kneeling there with his own ring, for him, smiling in the sun with quickly drying tear tracks down his cheeks. 

“Apparently, we’re in the exact same place. I want to be with you in everything for the rest of our lives, Tommy. So I hope it isn’t redundant when I ask – Tommy, will you marry me?”

Tommy covered his hands with his face, laughing and crying at the same time. He loved Jon so, so much. 

“Yes, a thousand times yes.”

Tommy stayed standing while Jon reached up to put his own ring on Tommy’s finger. Tommy stared at it, shocked and awed at how much he didn’t see this coming. The fact that both him and Jon had the same idea made him cry. Once Jon got the ring on his finger, Jon stood up and wrapped his arms around Tommy’s waist. He pulled him in for a kiss — a deep, lingering kiss that felt like something out of a movie, with Tommy’s hands bracketing Jon’s face and Jon’s hands wandering up Tommy’s back. In the background, Tommy heard the ocean; in his own space, he heard Jon’s soft breathing, his soft moans, felt the heat of his skin and the sun. 

When they finally pulled back from each other, they pressed their foreheads together, breathed together. 

“Oh shit. Where’s Leo?” Jon murmured. 

They both turned their heads at the same time and saw Leo sitting on their blanket, watchful and alert. 

“Leo!” Tommy lifted his hand and showed off his ring to the dog. “You’re going to have two dads now!”

Jon laughed and pulled Tommy in for another kiss.

~

“I can’t believe that happened,” Jon whispered for the hundredth time.

He and Tommy were back at home, nestled together on a lounge under the shade tree in the yard. Jon couldn’t get over what happened that afternoon and probably wouldn’t for the rest of his life, the cool metal band on his finger a permanent reminder. Not only did he get to see Tommy get on one knee and propose – his blond hair rustling in the sea breeze, picture perfect – he also got to propose to Tommy. Some might call proposing at the same time awkward, or a disaster. But to Jon, it felt perfect. 

It felt so _them._

“I know,” Tommy said, his warm cheek pillowed on Jon’s chest. 

They basked in that feeling for the rest of the evening under the shade, until it got chilly. Inside, they made dinner and discussed when they should tell their friends and coworkers.

“I told Lovett I was gonna propose,” Tommy said through a mouthful of pasta at the kitchen island.

“What the fuck, I told him too!” Jon laughed. 

Tommy made sure to swallow the food in his mouth before laughing, stepping back from the counter and throwing his head back, clutching his chest. When he calmed down, he looked Jon in the eye and shook his head in disbelief. “I fucking love you.”

“I love you, too,” Jon replied, his chin in his hand. He then realized something. “Wait, what did Lovett say to you?”

Tommy did his best Lovett impression, gesturing with his hands. “‘Just do it.’”

“That’s exactly what he told me.”

“I gotta hand it to him, he can keep a secret.”

They both giggled. Jon couldn’t stop smiling, it seemed. He and Tommy finished eating in comfortable silence and put the dishes in the washer. They went out to the living room and joined Leo, who was curled up on the couch. 

“Let’s just tell everyone on Monday,” Jon said, leaning into Tommy’s side. “Only have to say it once.”

“We’ll have to FaceTime my mom. And your parents,” Tommy thought aloud.

“And Dan.”

Tommy nodded. “And Dan.”

~

When Lovett finally strolled into the office around ten, Jon and Tommy greeted him by showing him their rings. It took Lovett a second to realize the significance of them holding up their hands like that, but when it clicked, he breathed out a sigh of relief, his palms crossed on his chest.

“Thank god!” Lovett said. “I was so worried. I didn’t know what to do. You know I had to keep two secrets? Two!”

“Thank you for not telling him,” Tommy said.

“Yeah, thank you for not telling him,” Jon parroted.

“Wait, so, did you both propose?” Lovett asked. 

The conversation garnered the attention of Tanya and Elijah and everyone else within hearing distance in the small office. 

“Yeah, we both did,” Jon grinned at Tommy.

Tommy showed off the band on his ring finger to everyone looking their way. “We’re getting married!”

The whole office erupted into applause. Jon stood up and leaned into Tommy’s space for a kiss, which made everyone let out various _aww_ s and whistles.

“Now I just want you two to know that choosing a wedding date is something you can do together,” Lovett joked. “Like, you can consult each other about it.”

Jon and Tommy laughed. No one else got the joke. When Tanya looked at them both with a curious eyebrow raise, Jon and Tommy looked at each other, silently asking, _Should we tell the story?_

Tommy nodded, as if to say _yeah_ , and Jon began the story of how they ended up proposing to each other on the same day, at the same time.

Both of them had a feeling they’d be telling it for many years to come.


End file.
